Cardiovascular remodeling during arteriovenous fistula maturation in a rodent uremia model.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiovascular remodeling after arteriovenous fistula (AVF) surgery and to characterize the effect of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a rodent femoral AVF model.

Methods: Sixteen rats (8 healthy; 8 CKD) underwent femoral AVF surgery; 4 animals served as controls. AVF and cardiac morphology as well as function were assessed during the fistula maturation process (until day 84 after surgery) using magnetic resonance imaging and histopathological analyses.

Chronic kidney disease aggravates arteriovenous fistula damage in rats.

Neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) and impaired dilatation are important contributors to arteriovenous fistula (AVF) failure. It is unclear whether chronic kidney disease (CKD) itself causes adverse remodeling in arterialized veins. Here we determined if CKD specifically triggers adverse effects on vascular remodeling and assessed whether these changes affect the function of AVFs.

Cardiovascular remodeling after AVF surgery in rats assessed by a clinical MRI scanner.

Purpose: To evaluate a cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique which allows the longitudinal analysis of cardiovascular remodeling in a rodent femoral arteriovenous fistula (AVF) model by means of a clinical scanner.

Materials And Methods: Eight rats underwent femoral AVF surgery and four rats served as controls. Vascular and cardiac morphology as well as cardiac function was assessed from Week 3 to 12 using contrast-enhanced, time-resolved magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and cardiac MRI (cine gradient-echo sequence) at 3 T in one imaging session.

Functional and structural response of arterialized femoral veins in a rodent AV fistula model.

Background: Neointimal hyperplasia is considered to be the major cause of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) failure, resulting in vein wall thickening, stenosis and, ultimately, occlusion. Ultrasound (US) has been shown to be effective for detecting these morphological changes in patients. The aim of this study was to develop an experimental AVF model in the rat that shows typical features of fistula maturation and allows longitudinal monitoring of fistula veins by high-resolution ultrasound.